The Imposter Princess
by ColoredPages
Summary: Princess Lisanna Strauss just wanted an adventure. She was tired of being told what to do day in and day out. Yukino Aguria on the other hand, well she just wanted a change of pace. Too bad both girls got more than they bargained for. With a foreign prince in the market for a bride, and a traitorous nobleman, what's a girl to do? AU, Looking for a new title!
1. Prologue

**Looking for a new title if anyone had any ideas!**

 **A/N: Welcome! I need help with the freaking title so please help me out! Let's see if you can all figure out what inspired this tale! I'm actually kind of excited to write it so I hope you like it. If I don't get too much negative feedback I will continue it. Updates will happen whenever I have time. Like it could be three days or three months. I'll try to keep them as consistent as possible though! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

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The kingdom of Magnolia was a lovely place. The rulers had been fair for quite some time now. The Strauss line remained one which was more focused on helping their subjects than war or power. It was a nice change from many of the other kingdoms. Of course things weren't perfect. But they were good enough.

Things had been changing in the kingdom as of late. The queen had recently passed. This left the next ruler a mystery. Out of the three siblings, only one could take over. Of course, it should have been simple. The son would receive the crown under any normal circumstances. But the queen had changed everything while still living. She was crowned even with living male relatives. So there lay the question. Would the eldest child get the title of queen regardless of the fact she had a brother? It was left to be determined.

You see, the council was in charge of quite a few affairs. Although they did not truly want to give the prince power, there were questions. Did the Princess Mirajane really have what it takes to be a ruler? She had gone through phases while growing up. First, malicious, then kind. Was she really mature enough to make the harsh decisions required of a royal? This was why the council hesitated in crowning her.

And so, the kingdom remained without a definite ruler until further notice. Mirajane acquired quite a bit of power but was still incapable of truly being the monarch. The council was in charge of a great deal of decisions as well. This is what started our tale, the council making a decision without consulting the Strausses.

-O-

Lisanna Strauss absolutely loathed her life. Living in a castle wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Neither was being a princess. No, she was victim to so many codes, conduct, and so so many regulations. She had to act a certain way. And she hated it. Dresses were great and all, but sometimes she wished she could at least try on a pair of trousers like some of the village girls. But here in the castle, it was way too taboo to even think about. There were also the times she wished to go on a walk around the castle gardens. Normally, it would be a great way to get some fresh air. Due to her lovely birth as a princess, she had to be followed by a full force of guards. Lisanna had always considered herself a free spirit. She never wanted to do the things people told her to. Their demands were simply an inconvenience as she had much more enjoyable things to do. But of course, she actually had to do them. She wasn't able to escape all of the trials and tribulation of high class life. She just wasn't made for it. But what that actually change anything? No.

She had been looking for an adventure. One which would take her far away from the castle. A journey where she'd experience so many new things. The adventure she received wasn't exactly what she had planned on. But it was an adventure nonetheless.

-O-

Yukino Aguria was content with the way things were going. She didn't love her life. But she liked it for sure. You see, she was an orphan. Yukino had to be completely independent. It wasn't an easy feat either. Her sister, Sorano, had been her only family. But of course the girl had disappeared years ago. The loss of her sister hurt. She had been near dead before a helping hand was shoved her way. Kagura Mikazuchi was the best savior one could hope for. She had swept the poor girl away and gotten her work. And that had been the start of their friendship. Both orphans, they deemed it best to stick together. So there they were, living in a small home and working hard. It wasn't the most glamorous or sought after life, but it was better than it could have been. The only downside was that it was the same thing everyday. Nothing ever differed from what it already was.

That's probably what Yukino wanted most. A change in pace. And she would get one. The cause just wouldn't be something she had expected.

-O-

Our tale really began one day when the royal family visited the village. It had been one of their annual trips. Only this year Princess Lisanna had managed to slip away from the guards unnoticed. It was a feat in itself. No one ever got past those guards. They were the best of the best. But of course Lisanna had found a way.

She began her trek through the town, oblivious to the fact that her siblings had noticed her absence. And much like their sister, Mirajane and Elfman slipped away as well. But back to Lisanna. The girl weaved through the streets, hoping to avoid any villagers who might recognize her. The girl assumed she was safe after entering an alleyway. But of course the princess just had to run directly into one of the village folk. Both girls fell towards the ground.

"I apologize. I was not looking where I was going." The other female was quick to jump up and offer her hand. Thankfully Lisanna's cloak had not fallen off. This girl remained completely unaware that she was speaking to her princess.

"It was my fault. Do not worry yourself." The girl was being completely honest. There was no way the village girl could have been at fault.

"I still apologize. I imagine I could have helped to avoid the collision had I been paying attention." The girl smiled bashfully at the princess.

"There you are!" Mirajane and Elfman had entered the alley. Unfortunately for Lisanna, Mira was not wearing her cloak. Anyone would recognize their possible future queen.

"Really? Was it actually necessary to come find me? I was doing fine on my own!" The girl was infuriated. She had just wanted a break from being guarded. Apparently even that was too much to ask for.

"I'm sorry. But if the guards notice we've gone missing, they will be disciplined, possibly executed. And Garry has a family! We can't let that happen to him." Mirajane was back to her bossy, and unworried, self.

"Fine. But once again, I am sorry. May I ask your name?" Lisanna turned back to the girl she had run into moments ago. The poor woman was staring in shock.

"Yukino Aguria, your majesty." The girl quickly moved to curtsy, obviously recognizing she was in the presence of royalty.

"None of that. I'm Lisanna. It was nice to meet you, Yukino." The girl smiled one more time before walking off, waiting for her siblings to follow.

"You know, you share a very striking resemblance to my dear sister." And with that, Mirajane scampered off, hoping to catch up to the younger girl. Elfman followed quietly.

Yukino could only stand in awe. She had just met all three royal family members. And one had even claimed she resembled the youngest princess. It was an interesting day indeed.

-O-

Somewhere, in a foreign land:

"Right here in your father's will it clearly states you must be wed before ascending to the throne."

"There's no way!"

"My Prince, you should come see for yourself. He has made it very clear."

"What the hell was that old man thinking?"

"He probably wanted to make sure someone was there to balance you out. You do know your whims aren't exactly great for the kingdom."

"But why do I have to get married?!"

"Your father has ordered it. By his will, he is still ruling king. You will not get anything until you find yourself a wife."

"Ugh. Something must've been seriously wrong with Dad."

"Don't despair. He did not place any restrictions on who this wife should be. She could be from any class. Just as long as she is from a different land."

"How is that supposed to help me?"

"I'm not quite sure. But the council has already found you the most suitable candidates in the neighboring kingdom."

"I thought I got to pick my wife."

"The final say belongs to you, yes. But honestly, these woman would make much more suitable queens than any other."

"Fine. So who's their first choice?"

"Princess Lisanna Strauss of Magnolia."

"Her? And the second?"

"It does not matter. The council has already sent word to Magnolia. We will receive a reply within the next few hours."

-O-

"You better hope the princess doesn't agree to meet that prince, my dear. You do know where that puts us, right?"

"Yes Father."

"Good girl. Now go get yourself a new dress. You'll have to look your very best."

"I know, Father."

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 **A/N: So that was kind of a crappy beginning. But I'm just trying to get an intro out there. As long as I have something done and posted I'll actually continue to work on this story. I've been trying to get my act together and write it for quite some time now. So hopefully you all enjoy it. Tell me what you think!**

 **Please tell me if you think this is worth continuing!**

 **Oh, and the million dollar question. What do you think this story will be (Will be? Come on, it is based off of it!) based off of?**


	2. Some News

**A/N: So I'm back! And it hasn't even been that long. Looks like I had a lot of free time today at school. Yes, I should be more focused on schoolwork, but I honestly could care less at this point. Writing is more fun. Now, this chapter is a little different. I'm not a super huge fan of it but whatever. Please continue to give feedback, I really do appreciate it. I want to be able to better things for you all. I do however have a set plan for this story so I'm not planning on changing anything too important. But if something is blatantly standing out to you as annoying, then please tell me!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing! Well, except for the plot…**

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In the kingdom of Magnolia, trouble was brewing. Within the palace, the council was holding a very important meeting. The time had finally come to inform Princess Mirajane of the marriage they had agreed to. No one on said council was thrilled about having to explain the situation to her. They knew the elder girl would react even worse than her sister. And the agreement did not even involve Mirajane. So of course they had put it off until the last minute. But that didn't save them any grief.

"What is wrong with all of you!?" Mirajane was outraged. If what she understood was true, then the council had royally pissed her off.

"We're not apologizing. It is what's best for this kingdom." One of the council had the audacity to challenge her. Oh no.

"How dare you do this without consulting me first!" The woman continued to glare at each and every person in the room. How dare they.

"You misunderstand, my princess, it is not set in stone. If the prince does not find you sister pleasing, he will look elsewhere." Of course one of the council would try to act innocent. But Mirajane wasn't falling for it.

"And what about her, huh? What if she doesn't find him pleasing!?" The future queen asked a tough question. No one knew how to respond without angering her even more.

"That is no matter. She is a woman." So of course one of them just had to come up with the most offensive answer imaginable! Those council members are just great…

"You did not just go there. I will dismiss you from this council if I hear another remark like that one!" Mira was beyond angry. She was absolutely livid. What made the council think they could get away with these things?

"And how do you intend to do that? You are not queen." The smug member stared at her waiting for a response. Well, he was right. She wasn't queen. Yet.

"I will be. You just watch. My siblings are in no way inclined to take the throne. One day these people are going to get tired of waiting on you to make a decision regarding rulership. They will rally in my favor." This was true as well. Over the years Princess Mirajane had become beloved to her people. She made efforts to help the villagers reach a better standard of life. They could only respect her for this.

"Such bold claims." Another council member, this time an older man, spoke up.

"They are not bold if they are true." Mirajane's claim caused the council to deflate. They knew the people would stand by her. And so, the princess began to take her leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" The crabby old man was furious. Queen or not, Mirajane was not allowed to leave their presence without being dismissed.

"I am leaving. I need to inform my sister that you idiots have signed away her free will!" This was said with a straight face, void of all emotion. A look on who ruled would have to master sooner or later.

"That is not what we have done." The only woman on the council attempted to defend the decision they had made. But she, more than any other, knew what Mirajane said was true.

"Think about it for a moment. It is exactly what you have done." Knowing that they were already doing so, Mira continued her trek to the door.

"You know, this is the reason you could never be queen. You let emotion cloud your judgement. A true ruler must be able to make harsh decisions. You'll never be able to do so. You care too much." The snobby council member from before watched as Mira left. Although it wasn't much of a reaction, he had noticed the way her figure had stiffened.

-O-

"Mira, how could you let them do this!?" Lisanna was in tears. What had compelled her sister to agree to this?

"I didn't. They went behind my back with this one." Mirajane gazed at her sister sadly. This definitely wasn't what she had wanted for her sister.

"Can't you stop them?" The younger girl looked to her sister, hoping she had a solution. Mira had always been the problem solver.

"No. They have already responded. You will meet the prince." Although pained, Mira said this with conviction. She knew Lisanna would try to fight it.

"But what if he's a total ass?" Realizing there was no escape by her sister's tone, the girl went for a humorous approach. Of course she was being completely serious as well.

"He very well could be. But you will still have to spend the month with him." Mira laughed at her sister. Although it was very unbecoming to use such foul language, Lisanna had always done so.

"A whole month!?" The young girl looked as though the world was ending. It was likely that Lisanna's world as she knew it was ending. But the expression was still unwarranted.

"Well, if he does not find you 'pleasing' then he'll move on to the other option." The older girl looked disgusted as she said this. The fact that the man got to decide such a thing was absolutely horrifying.

"Which would be?" The girl wanted to know. If she was getting ditched for someone else, it was best to know who that would be. Even though she didn't want to marry this prince, it would suck if he married the second choice and she turned out to be someone Lisanna hated. Or at least had a bit of a rivalry with. That had happened a few times….

"Lady Minerva Orlando." Mira said this with a bit of a wince. It was clear she knew how her sister felt about the noblewoman.

"She's a bitch though!" And, there went the outraged cry. Lisanna absolutely loathed the Orlando family. Something about them had always rubbed her the wrong way. But of course no one listened to her when she said they were not to be trusted.

"Yes, she is. But she's still in the running. Now, if that one doesn't work out either he will remain a guest in our palace until one of the other noble girls suits his taste. And if they all come up short, he will move on to village girls. Bottom line, he's staying until he finds some girl he deems worthy of marrying." Mirajane was completely prepared for another one of her sister's 'I hate the Orland family' rants. But she had to get out all of her thoughts about the prince first.

"Ew. So even if he's a total douche we can't kick him out?" Lisanna was back on to hating the prince. The Minerva detour hadn't lasted long at all.

"Nope. We'll be stuck with him until he decides every single girl in this whole kingdom is unworthy of his affections. Which, trust me on this, is very likely if he is in fact, an ass." Mirajane smiled as she said this. At least Lisanna wasn't crying anymore.

"Woah, you just cursed!" The younger girl jumped out of her seat. It was abnormal for her sister to let a word like that slip out.

"I do recognize that it is very unbecoming of me, but the situation called for it. You would do best to remember to filter what you say." Mira smiled once again. It was easier to just make light of such a sad situation.

"Why though? The village folk all do it. Even the women." Lisanna was off again on one of her tangents about how life as a royal was not fair. Well for any noble really. So many regulations...

"We are not from the village. You are of high birth, regardless of what you wish. You will have to act like a princess eventually Lisanna." It seemed that the young girl often forgot this. Mira constantly reminded her.

"I hope that day never comes." The girl sniffed and turned her head. She really did not wish to be like everyone wanted- Like she was required to be.

"It will. One day you will find yourself in a tough situation. Never forget your birth." Mira knew that a day would come where Lisanna was proud of her birth. It would just take some time to reach that point.

"Whatever you say." The girl rolled her eyes as she walked to the dining hall with her sister. She didn't think anything of what Mira had said.

-O-

And now we visit the village once again. Or more importantly, we visit Yukino. The peasant girl who was once again, having a colorless day. Although she had literally run into the princess the day before, nothing had changed. Her life was still just as unexciting as the day before.

"Wait, so you actually ran into the royal family yesterday?" Kagura was staring at her friend skeptically. It was hard to believe what the other girl had said was true.

"Yes, Kagura. I did actually run into the princess." Yukino knew her friend would have a hard time processing her tale. But honestly, they had been over this twice already.

"Woah. That's quite eventful. Isn't that the sort of thing you were hoping for?" The purple haired woman recognized that Yukino had wanted some sort of wild thing to happen. Perhaps the appearance of the royal family satisfied her wants.

"I guess. I just feel like I need something more, you know?" The girl looked down at her hands. Yeah, meeting the royals was a big deal. But really, she wanted a bit of an adventure. Something that lasted longer than a few seconds as her run in with royalty had.

"Not really. But whatever you say." Kagura would never fully understand her friend. But she would support her either way.

"I guess we should be getting to work now, shouldn't we?" Yukino looked up toward their clock. The thing was old, but it was accurate.

"We could wait a while longer. Our work is literally right next door." Kagura peered at the clock as well. Their work did not start for twenty minutes.

"Sometimes it pays to be early." Yukino spoke from experience. Years ago she had managed to secure a bit of extra money. The boss had been so excited to see one of his employees was early to arrive.

"I didn't say we shouldn't leave. I was merely stating that we did not have to." Kagura spoke in a matter of fact tone as she searched for her coat. A cold front had been moving in. It was sure to snow soon.

"You're lazy." The other girl was unsure as to why her friend was acting this way. Usually Kagura was completely unopposed to heading into work early. She enjoyed being punctual. So what was different today?

"I was more concerned about you resting for a few more moments. From what I gather, you got little sleep." Of course it would be the girl's worry for her friend. Kagura often put others first. She did not care if harm came her way as long as those she held dear were healthy.

"Okay, you do have a point there. But I do think we should leave now." Yukino smiled as she searched for her own coat. Regardless of her sleeping pattern, she was ready to get things done.

"If you're prepared for labor, then so be it." The two girls left, quietly making their way to the next building over. Now when they said next door it didn't really mean close. There was quite the gap between the two spaces.

-O-

And now we must visit our foreign kingdom. The one with the prince. Things were going mighty fine over in that corner of the world. The council had received a response from Magnolia and was planning accordingly.

"So what did the council say?"

"The Magnolian Council has decided to accept our proposal."

"So..?"

"We will be staying in the palace there for a month my Lord."

"Oh. So I'm just supposed to find a wife in a month then?"

"That is the plan."

"But what if it takes longer?"

"If that is the case then we will remain in Magnolia until you have exhausted all possibilities."

"And after that?"

"We'll go to the next kingdom. Hopefully it does not come to that."

"We leave tomorrow, correct?"

"Yes, My Prince."

"And can I bring whoever I want with me?"

"Lord Cheney has already agreed to accompany you."

"Good. That saves me some grief. Now, about my cat."

"We have already received word that it is okay to bring him. If the rumors are true, Princess Lisanna is quite fond of animals."

"Alright then. I have no further questions."

-O-

Ah yes, and what is this story without its visit to the ominous family of two? The ones who are plotting such great misfortune….

"We have changed the plan."

"And what changes have you made then?"

"Your failure will no longer be a possibility. I have made sure of it."

"Did you not have faith in me, Father?"

"My dear, you were sure to fail. The princess is quite charming. You would have never been able to outdo her."

"So may I ask what will happen now?"

"You will see. And if you still manage to fail…"

"I understand."

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 **A/N: So? I really need to know if you guys are okay with the way this is written,. I have a bit of a weird style and it confuses some people. Let me know if things are making sense to you or not!**

 **Guys, I have looked over this chapter so many times and I still don't feel like it's right. This is super frustrating. And oh gosh, I can't help but make puns in the story, can I?**

 **And now, our lovely chapter question:**

 _ **What do you think the sketchy man at the end is planning? (Seriously, if you figured out what this story is based on, then you should know. Well, to some extent.)**_


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